This invention relates to a housing for an underwater camera and more particularly to such an underwater camera housing with a control unit for controlling the operation of a stroboscopic lamp, or a flash lamp, attached to the camera.
A flash lamp is nearly indispensable in underwater photography because red light is more easily absorbed by water and the available light is usually insufficient, that is, there is the basic problem of color imbalance. A flash lamp for underwater photography is usually held at a position away from the camera by means of an elongated arm or the like in view of the presence of small objects such as plankton and grains of sand. For this reason, it has been known to attach a base plate to the bottom of a housing for an underwater camera and to set the flash lamp at the tip of a bendable arm extending from the base plate such that the arm can be moved to change the position of the flash lamp and to adjust the lighting condition, depending on the circumstances. When it is desired to photograph a target object as clearly as possible without any shadows, the lamp may be placed in front near the camera or somewhat above the front of the camera. If some shadows are desired, say, for emphasizing a contrast, the lamp may be placed at a relatively low position on the right-hand side or left-hand side of the camera for side lighting. In other words, underwater photography is unique in that the flash lamp is usually at a position relatively far from the camera and its position is always changing.
When there is sufficient natural light, or when it is desired to use a bluish tone to express the feeling of being in an underwater world, for example, the flash lamp is not required, and the photographer must switch off the lamp at the tip of the arm by removing his/her face from the finder of the camera to look at the lamp switch. The underwater photographer's body is always exposed to a water current and the balance is precarious. Under such a condition, the photographer must keep changing the hand which holds the camera, as well as the body position when extending a hand and grabbing the camera. After the lamp is switched off, the photographer must change his/her body position again to look through the finder and get ready to take the next picture. In short, in order to carry out this simple operation of switching off the flash lamp, the photographer is required to undergo many more troublesome motions than in an above-ground condition. As a result, an underwater photographer often misses a chance to take a rare picture. It now goes without saying that it also takes much more time under the water to switch on the flash lamp than above the ground.